Safety device for one-man vehicles



July 11, 1933. e. BIANCHI SAFETY DEVICE FOR ONE-MAN VEHICLES Filed June 29, 1931 Patented July 11, 1933' UNITED STATES ernsnrrn 'BIAnoHI, or nmn'nzn, ITALY SAFETY nnvicnrora onn-manvnnicnns Application filed June 29, 1931, Serial No; 547,776, and in Italy'Iuly 8, 1930.

In order that a train or vehicle driven by a single operator be stopped automatically in the case the motor-man or engineer leaves for .any reason the seat which isnormally oc-. cupied by him, various devices are employed which maybe classed as follows:

V (0;) In one of such devices the mot-ori'nan or engineer is obliged to press Continually upon a button or upon a foot-pedal; as soon as he abandons said button or saidypedal, an electrical, mechanical or pneumatic device comes into action either'immediately or after some time. The chief drawback of this arrangement is that .it can be easily modified. The motorman himself, to avoid the necessity of continuously pressing the button or the pedal, may be induced to fix said button or said pedal by any means in a desired position so that the train cannnot come to rest. In this case the aim ,of'said device will be quite illusory.

(b) To avoid that employees should artificially alter the working conditions of the apparatus, another class of device has been provided which depends upon the following principle: a device, after a certain time or after a certain distance, puts into action the apparatus which cuts oil the motive power and subsequently the apparatus acting upon the brakes, if themotorman does not act, at intervals, upon a button or a pedal. It will be obvious that,as it is very much harder to substitute unduly the intermittent'action of the motorman, his class of devices will be less subjected to actions which may alter the operation and frustate the scope thereof. The main drawback of this class of devices is that the motorman is obliged, at very near intervals, often of a few seconds, to act intermittently upon the button or the pedal, this operation being for the operator a more painful effort-than that required by the types of devices mentioned under (a').

The object of this invention is to provide an arrangement in which by means of a mechanical transmission (not shown) the cessat-ion: of the motive power of the vehicle and the action of the brakes is obtained, successively, after a certain interval of time or space, if the motor-man has left his place, or

own centre of gravity,

he falls senseless upon the step,

if, taken with indisposition he does not execute the usual manipulations required for conducting the train, and, in view ofthis, without overcharging the motormair with any permanent or intermittent work effort. 535

The apparatus according to this invention is based substantially upon the following principle: a man being upright or-sitti-ng on the driving place'of a running vehicle, in order to maintain hisupright position, is 5 obliged, necessaril-y'andinstinctively, to displace his own centre of gravity either owing to the fact that he must act upon or inspect the various control parts of the vehicle, or, over all, react against the shocks of thecar fii which tend todisplace' at anymoment his body, evenslightly, and make him lose his equilibrium.

In the case 'the motorman is normally standing the device consists substantially of m a step formed with a part fixed on the bottomof the-vehicleand another portionwhich, with regard to the former, is susceptibleof diplacements of feebleamplitude and whereupon the motorman is standing In-the case 16 the motorman is sittingidown, thedevioe is also constituted by'a step suchas the precedent one, on the movable part of which is fixed the seat, or else by a seat composed by a part fastened to the car and another part B0 which, with regard to theformer," is susceptible of effecting movements of feebleamplitude and whereon is sitting the: motorman. In viewof the fact that the principle of this device is identical with the foregoing, either in the case of the step (man in standing position) or in the case of seat (man sitting down), in the following description only the case of the step will be considered; 7

The feeble relative movements of the mov- 00 able and the fixed part of the step being acted upon unconsciously by the motorman, will displace necessarily and continually his thus giving raise to the intermittent completion of an electrical D circuit. If the motorman leaves his seat of his own accord or if, taken with indisposition thus considerably'displacing his centre of gravity,the

intermittentcompletion and interruption of 1 the electrical circuit will no more take place, the current being interrupted or permanently cut off. r

The action which produces interruption of the motive power of the vehicle and the opthe movements of the motorman is effecting tively a'vertical and a plane small displacements which by means of contacts intermittently establish and interrupt thecurrent, the apparatus effecting the interruption of the motive power and the operation of brakes is put into action. In order to fullyexplain the invention I will now de- Scribe a manner of carrying'out a step or apparatus for automatically stopping a train. It will be obvious that the invention may be carried out likewise by an apparatus of somewhat diiterent structure with regard to that indicated, but which is still based upon the same principles. Some apparatus cmbodying the principles of the invention are shown, by way of example only, in the annexed drawing wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing respec- View of one embodiment of the supporting step.

Figs. 3 and 4 represent in alike manner another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a diagra'mmatical view of a mechanism adapted for cooperating with the said step and for controlling the provided safety devices, not shown on the drawing, as they are not claimed by the present application.

Referring to l otthe drawing a diagrammatical formof the step is represented which embodies'the object of'breaking or closing an electrical circuit when the motorman being upright on the step is effecting, consciously-or involuntary, feeble movements. The step is composed of a plate D suspended at its centre by an axis P and supported close to its periphery by a row of springs m, m adapted for balancing its weight and impeding the metallic rim of said disc or plate D tocome into contact with a; series of contact members C, C spaced along the periphery of the movable part of the step. i i

The electric contact members C, C may be of opposite polarity as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the contacts C having all like polarity and contacts C being insulated so thatthey cannot close the circuit between the lines L, L and having only as their object to hold the movable step at the same level as contacts C when the step is inclined under the action of a wei ht. In this case one of the terminals of the circuit comes into con tact with the contact members C and the other one With the'movable part'of the step.

coincides with a Until the motorman has mounted on the step, the electrical circuit which terminates at the contact members 0, C in Fig. l or at the contact members C of the step represented in Fig. 3 will remain open. lVhen the motorman or a dead weight enters. the step, the latter will be displaced or tilted in such a manner as to be supported at P and at a point P of the circumference which results from the connection of P with the projection of the centre of gravity G of the load. Then two cases may arise: either the point P falls between two peripherally disposed contact members C, G of Figure2, and in this case it will be obvlous that the electrical circuit .will remain closed through the contact members C and C adjacent to the point P: or the point Pcomcides witli'acoiitact C or with a Contact 0 and the circuit will remain open. In the case of Figs. 3 and 4 point P contact C andthe circuit Wlll remain closed across the movable step and the contact C. If however said oint coincides with an insulated contact C the circuit will remain open.

lVhen the vertical line passing through the centre of gravity of the body placed on the step is not displaced with regard to G itwill be apparent that the electrical circuit remains always either closed or open. This will happen when the'motorman does not any longer give any signs of life or if an inert body rests on the step.

It could be objected that the shocks of the running vehicle displace the projection of the centre of gravity of the inert body in such a manner as to subsequently displace the point P of contacton-the circumference and render intermittent the electric conta t and thus the current, as it would result with a living motorman on the step. To this objection it may be replied that the displacement of the projection G of the centre of gravity under the action of the shocks of the running vehicle uponthose of an inert body lying on the step cannot exceed a certain amplitude. The distancebetween the contactmembers C and C may be chosen sufficiently great'so that the latter be greater than said amplitude.

The displacement of the centre of gravity and of its projection on the step, D,jand, consequently of the contacting point P is, on

r the other hand, veryimportant when on the step is the motorman who continually displaces his own centre of gravity in relation with the movements he is obliged to effect for control the apparatus and his sufficiently instinctive movements which are necessary to ensure his equilibrium.

It will be obvious that the movable step in the case of a motorman standing upright or the movable seat in the case of a motorman sitting down may present very different shapes from 7 those previously described. In

IOU

two bosses (Z and (Z w all cases either the seat or the stepshould satisfy the following requirements:

(1.) lVh-en no load is applied on the step or seat, the electric contacts should maintain a permanently openor permanently closed circuit.

Said electric contacts should be spaced and of such sir-2e that the action of the shocks of the vehicle upon an inert body resting upon the step or scat could not render intermittent the contacts.

Vv hen, on the contrary, a living body rests on the step and which continually and energically reacts against the shocks of the vehicle tending to make him lose his equilibrium, the contacts should be constituted in such a manner as to render intermittent the passage of the current. 1

Fig, is a diagrammatic view of one possible form of the apparatus which cause: first the interruption of the motive pow-er oi' the car and subsequently the operation of the brakes when the current coming from the step remains branched on or permanently interrupted.

fin electromagnetli is fed by the current established or interrupted by the contacts of the movable member ot the step l). Said electromagnet attracts an arniature ll having rich in the attracted or released position of the armature urge the rod. A towards the screw V while in any other intermediate position of the arn'iature therod A is spaced from the screw V by the action of the spring M. Qn the red A a weight Q, may "freely slide in the same direction as the rod, said weight being provided, at the side of the screw V, with a helically threaded portion having the same pitch as the screw. I The screw V is maintained in the same rotating direction by any suitable driving mechanism 'tion Q i. e. the to i of the screw.

having a constant speed independent tron'i that of the vehicle or throu h a mechanical orivc. by the vehicle itself in sucn ainanner that the speed oi rotation of the screw bepro portional to the speed of the vehicle.

It will be easily understood thatwhen the electromagnet is permanently energizedor inenergized, the weight Q being urged against the rotating screw is engaged with the latter and if lifted at a speed of displacement which is proportional to the pitch of the screw and its rotary speed. If nothing occurs to vary the current conditions in lil, the weight Q will move until it reaches the posi- Prior to reaching this point the weight Q willsuccessively contact with the points K, K, etc. which, through a mechanical transmission, not shown, will actuate the apparatus interrupting the motive power and the braking mechanism of the vehicle. I

It, on the other hand, during the ascension of Q, towards the end of the screw, current is fed to or withdrawn from the clectromagnet in L-llG electromagnet E,

weight Q,

E, and, consequently, it the armature H moves in one or in another direction; the spring M will be enabled" to remove for an instant the rod A and the weight Q, from the screw V. In this manner the weight Q, falls down, thus being prepared to inimediately rc peat its ascensional moyementflt will be 7c. etc; established and'will therefore causethe stopping of the vehicle only if-in the meantime the electromagnet has notbeenf active; Gon.seqnent'ly' it uponth'e step is'za living body which is moving continnallythns producingthe intermittencc of current withitwill be possible, by suitably choosing the rotary speed of the scrcW V' of its length and pitch, ithat' the never accomplishcs its complete course. i course will be accomplished when fora cer- 'tain interval of time the step remams motionless this condition corresponding to theltact that; nobody is on the step but only an mert weightso that the current remains permanently interrupted or permanently active:

What I claim is? 1; An electrical safety device fortrains arranged to apply-the brakes having in combin atlon :1

)us that the weight Q will-be unable to On the :contrar' 'this'ucom lc'te base member, a tiltable platsposi? tioned above said member, means extending jtrom the base member fOF'PlVOtfill'Y supporting the plate medially thereof,- circumferentially disposed electrical eontaets positioned z roo between said member and said plate for closing an electric circuit whenthe plate is moved into engagement therewith, yieldable'means normally maintaining the plate away from said contacts, and means ,upon the plate being depr ssed for closing the electrical ciri1 cult and applying the'brakes.

2. An electrical sat ty device I for trains arr vnged to apply the brakes having in combination a base member, a tiltable plate positioned above said member, means extending from the base member for pivotally-supporting the plate medially thereof, circumferentially disposed contact members positioned between said plate for closing an electrical circuit when base member and said the plate is tilted upon being depressed by body, certain of said contact members bea ing of the same polarity and others being insulated so as not to close the circuit when the plate is moved into engagement therewith, andmeans normally maintaining the plate out of engagement with said contact members. 7

3. An electrical safety device fortrains arranged to apply the brakes having in combination a base member, a tiltable platevpositioned above said member, means extending from the base member for pivotally supporting the plate medially thereof, circumferentially disposed contacts positioned between is tilted upon being said member and said plate for closing an electric circuit when the plate is moved into engagement therewith yieldable means norinally maintaining the plate away from said contacts, means controlling the electrical circuits in accordance with the position of said tiltable plate when depressed by movement of the engineers foot thereon, and means upon aninert body depressing said plate for closing the circuit andcausing thebrakes to be applied.

4. An electrical safety device for trains arranged to apply the brakes having in combination a base member, a tiltable plate positioned above sald member, means extending from the base member ing the plate medially thereof, circumferentially disposed contact members positioned between said base member and said plate for closing an electrical circuit when the plate said plate having means coaeting with said contact member for intermittently passing the current through the circuit when the plate is depressed during the normal operation of thedevice, but preventing the intermittent passage of the current when the plate is depressed by an inert body, and means normally maintaining the plate out of engagement-With said contact members.

5. An electrical safety device for trains arranged to apply the brakes having in combination a base member, a tiltable plate positioned above said member, means extendfor pivotally support,

depressed by a body,

ing from the base member for pivotally supporting the plate medially thereof, circumferentially disposed contact members positioned between said base member and said plate for closing an electrical circuit when the plate is tilted upon being depressed by a body, means for opening and closing the electrical circuit in accordance with the depressed position of the plate by the foot of the engineer or motorman resting thereon, means upon the plate being depressed by an inert body for applying the brakes, and means normally maintaining the plate out of engagement with said contact members.

6. An electrical safety device for trains arranged to apply the brakes having in combination a base member, a tiltable plate positioned above said member, means extending from the base member for pivotally supporting the plate, circumferentially disposed electrical contact members positioned between said base member and said plate for closing an electric circuit when theplate is tilted upon being depressed by a body, operating instrumentalities operatively connected to the safety device and the brakes whereby upon the plate being depressed by an inert body for automatically operating the brakes, and yieldable means normally maintaining the plate out of engagement with said contact members. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7

GIUSEPPE BIAN CHI. 

